


Honoring Relationships

by AutumnRayne, ElenaCee



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Case fic (sort of), Gen, Valentine's One True Partner Fics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 11:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13926651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnRayne/pseuds/AutumnRayne, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElenaCee/pseuds/ElenaCee
Summary: Valentine's Day is not just about sex, contrary to what LA's resident Hellions have heretofore believed. Lucifer attempts to apply this newly learned knowledge in his inimitable style.Part of the Valentine's One True Partner Fics exchange.





	Honoring Relationships

**Author's Note:**

> We're only a liiiittle bit late, lol. Real life was being a bitch, as it so often is wont to. Hope you like it anyway.
> 
> We wrote this without taking any obvious turns into something we hope reads seamlessly. The plot idea is entirely AutumnRayne's, though. Despite the RL stumbling blocks, this collaboration has been a lot of fun.

“That’s not what it’s about.  It’s a special day,” Dan started, “to have a little fun celebrating the love we have for one another.”  He frowned gently as he took in the quizzical expression on Maze’s face. “All right, well, for instance,” he explained as he sat on the sofa next to her, “some people go out to dinner or see a movie to spend a little extra time together.  People send flowers and cards, or exchange gifts like chocolate and candy.” He smiled widely. “Or giant teddy bears.” His smile faded as she stared at him, unamused by his words. “Um, yeah. You’re not…not really a giant teddy bear kind of person, are you?”

She scrunched her face and shook her head.  “So it’s _not_ about sex?”

“No,” he sighed.  “No, it’s not about sex.”

“But people _do_ have sex on Valentine’s Day, don’t they?”

“I’m certain some people have sex as a way of expressing their love.  You know what?” He shook his head. “I do _not_ want to have this conversation with you.  The best part of Valentine’s Day, the point is it’s a day to honor the loving relationships we have.  Spouses, significant others, family members. And friends. The kids in Trixie’s class are exchanging valentines in school today.”

“That sounds boring,” Maze said pointedly.  “I think I liked Valentine’s Day better when I thought it was just about sex.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

“I’m ready!”  Trixie announced as she bounced into the living room.

“Do you have your valentines?”

“Right here!” she answered, holding up a brown paper lunch bag covered in red and white hearts.

“How about the bag of pencils?”  Trixie’s shoulders fell as she held up a second paper bag, this one plain.

“Why does Mom think my friends want pencils for Valentine’s Day?”  He took the bag and peeked inside.

“Mom was excited to find Valentine-themed pencils,” he said.  “What’s wrong with pencils?”

“They’re pencils,” Trixie responded.  “Kids don’t want pencils. We want candy.  That’s the best part of Valentine’s Day! It’s like Halloween in February!”  Maze shifted slowly across the cushion between her and Dan, and leaned a shoulder into him.

“Aren’t the best parts the loving relationships?” she chided quietly as she smiled.

“Shut up,” he whispered.

“Can we please stop at the store on the way to school and buy some suckers?” Trixie pleaded.  “I promise I’ll hand out the pencils, too.”

“Yeah,” Dan answered.  “We’ll get some suckers.”  He stood and started towards the door.

“Maze?” Trixie dug into the decorated bag and pulled out a folded piece of paper.  “This is for you. Happy Valentine’s Day!” She skipped along and followed her father through the door.

Maze regarded the paper for a moment before unfolding it. Two stick figures, unmistakably of herself and Trixie, appeared in several poses across the page.  They were dressed as doctors; they were sitting on the sofa, sharing a bowl of popcorn. They were trick-or-treating; they were playing school. The words across the bottom of the paper, letters alternating between red and pink crayon, read, _To my bestest and coolest friend!  I love you, Maze!_

“Well,” she said as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.  “How about that?”

 

* * *

 

The young man was well-dressed and moderately handsome. His name, as per his driving license, was Steve Huong. He was also quite dead.

With a sigh, Chloe got up from her crouch. “Cause of death, Ella?” She was guessing blunt-force trauma to the head, but these things could be deceiving.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lucifer put in, sounding bored. “The poor chap was clearly clobbered to death with this.” He bent down to retrieve a tyre iron from the ground with his, naturally, un-gloved hands.

With the ease of practice, Chloe neatly body-checked him and retrieved the likely murder weapon herself, enjoying his brief look of mixed surprise and admiration.

“Hmhm,” Ella confirmed without looking up from her camera as she was happily snapping photos. “Looks like it. Autopsy will probably confirm.”

“So, improvised weapon, likely a crime of passion,” Chloe rattled off, carefully putting the possible murder weapon into an evidence bag. “Any next of kin that needs to be informed?” She sighed again. “Crappy day for it, in any case.”

“Already been taken care of,” Ella said, putting down her camera at last and handing Chloe a note. “List of relatives. He lived alone, so no lover left behind at least. And yeah, the date totally sucks.”

“Really?” Lucifer said, tilting his head to one side as he regarded the vic’s face. “String of lovers, then. He’s not exactly an eyesore. Nice figure, too. Or, he may have lived separate from whoever the lucky person is.” He put his head to the other side, transferring his gaze from the body to Chloe. “What’s wrong with today’s date, anyway?”

It was a measure of how much time she’d spent with Lucifer, Chloe reflected, that she didn’t even find the question odd coming from him. “It’s Valentine’s Day, Lucifer.”

“Oh. That.” Contempt dripped from every word. “Humans exploding into activity and buying sprees to honor a saint that who was allegedly commemorated on this day, even though nobody’s certain about anything.” He snorted. “Just as ridiculous as the courtly love he stands for. What’s the point of coveting someone you will never get into bed? What’s the point of spending hard-earned cash on flowers on this day, of all days? I mean, if you really want to show your appreciation, buy a new sex toy for goodness sake, and spend all day indoors.” His tongue poked his inner cheek. “Or do it al fresco, if you’re so inclined.”

Chloe, used to his rants, had started to tune him out, but this was too ridiculous to ignore. “It’s a nice gesture. Buying flowers for a loved one, I mean. It’s the little gestures that honor relationships, Lucifer. Being ignored on Valentine’s Day often is a reason for breakup.”

“Or for murder?” Lucifer, surprisingly, was back on the case.

“Hmm,” Chloe allowed, “unlikely. The day’s not over yet. If his sweetheart offed this young man for being ignored, they were a little premature. Taking the significant other out for dinner is SOP. It’s not even noon yet.”

Lucifer gave one of his explosive sighs. “If this ridiculous custom is as important as you’re making it out to be, then anything’s possible. And, for the record, Valentinus was all about a good meal. Had the circumference to prove it, too.”

“If you say so,” Chloe muttered, shaking her head as she returned her focus to the body.

“Whoa, hold on a sec, guys.”  Ella carefully set her camera on the floor.  “There’s something…” She shifted across the floor on her knees and bent over the victim’s head.  “There’s something in his mouth.” Lucifer mimicked Chloe’s actions, leaning slightly to the side as they both tried to see around Ella.

“Oh,” the detective breathed, a look of disgust on her face.  “What is that?”

“A rose petal,” Ella answered as she held the object in the air.  “But not a real one.”

“There’s writing on it.”  Chloe stepped forward and placed her hands on her knees as she leaned forward to see the petal.  “‘Loves me not’,” she read.

“Ah.”  Lucifer smiled widely and slipped his hands into his pants pockets.  “Looks like I was right after all.”

 

* * *

 

“Okay,” Chloe started as she opened the door to her apartment, “ten minutes, that’s all I need.”  Lucifer followed her over the threshold.

“Don’t you need--”

“Your help?”

“Yes,” he said with a smile.

“No.”  She stopped in the open area between the living room and the kitchen, and turned to look at him.  “I do not need your help.”

“What am I supposed to do while I wait?”

“It’s ten minutes, Lucifer.”

“Yes, ten minutes of excruciating boredom.”

“I think you’ll live,” she said as she rolled her eyes.  “Don’t touch anything, don’t get into anything. Just sit.”  Chloe motioned towards the sofa, nodded curtly as he gave a reluctant agreement.  “Ten minutes,” she called over her shoulder as she moved towards the staircase.

“Ten minutes,” he muttered mockingly.  With a sigh, he looked around the quiet apartment.  “Do not get into anything. Hmm. What haven’t I rifled through yet?”

“You make a mess and I’ll use your dead body to clean it up.”  Lucifer turned towards the familiar voice and offered a smile.

“Maze,” he greeted.  “How lovely to see you.”

“I’m not kidding.”

“I wasn’t going to make a mess,” he stated.  Maze folded her arms in front of her chest and raised an eyebrow.  “It’s only ten minutes,” he explained. “How much of a mess can one devil make in ten minutes?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

“No.”  He motioned towards the sofa.  “How about we sit and chat, yes?”

“Whatever.”  She rolled her eyes and crawled over the back of the sofa.  “So, why ten minutes?”

“The detective wanted to take a quick shower,” he replied.  “We’ve been to four crime scenes today and she was feeling ‘yucky’.”

“Hmm.”

“And here I sit when I could be up there helping her.”

Maze pulled her legs onto the cushion and crossed them at the ankles.  “How about a funny story?”

“If I must.”

“Detective Dan stopped by this morning to pick up Trixie.”

“Hilarious,” Lucifer interrupted.  She narrowed her eyes. “Right, sorry.  Please, go on with your...funny story.”

“Detective Dan stopped by this morning,” she repeated with a bite, “to pick up Trixie.  And we started talking about Valentine’s Day.”

“Oh, this again,” he muttered.

“He said, get this,” she snicked.  “He said that Valentine’s Day isn’t about sex!”  She laughed heartily as she clapped her hands once.  “Can you believe it? He went on and on about honoring relationships with candy and flowers.”  She leaned forward and placed a hand on Lucifer’s knee. “And giant teddy bears.” She fell back against the arm of the sofa as her laugh took on a more maniacal tone.  “Teddy bears!”

“Hold up.”  Lucifer reached past Maze and grabbed a piece of white paper hiding behind a throw pillow.  “What’s this?” Her smile quickly fell.

“Nothing,” she snipped as she tried to pull it from his hands.

“No, no,” he started, quickly pulling it away.  “‘To my bestest and coolest friend,” he read with a soft chuckle.  “‘I love you, Maze,’” he continued as he looked at her.

“It’s from the kid,” she tried to explain.

“Look at all the nifty little pictures of you and the spawn.”

“Can I have--”

“No.”  Lucifer’s smile slowly disappeared as he looked more closely at the paper.  “Nifty little pictures,” he repeated. “What are all of these?”

“Nothing.”  She reached for the paper again, and again, Lucifer pulled away.

“This isn’t ‘nothing’,” he said.  “There are so many of them. Is this…”  His smiled widened once more as he pointed to a particularly pink picture.  “Is this you with a tiara?” She folded her arms across her chest and looked away.

“We were playing ‘princess’,” she muttered.

“I’m sorry?  What was that?”

“We were playing ‘princess’,” she replied a little louder.

“You, fiercest of demons, played ‘princess’.”

Maze smiled as she slowly nodded.  “Yes, I played ‘princess’. And you know what?  I am a _damn_ good one.  So is the kid.”  She pulled the paper from Lucifer’s hand and neatly folded it.  “I actually enjoy my time with her.”

“I see.  Even these little trivial moments?”

“Especially these little trivial moments.”

“Honoring relationships,” Lucifer mumbled as he stood and walked away.  A simple child, celebrating her important relationships with messy lines of colored wax.  “I get it!” He spun on his heel and looked at Maze. “I understand what the detective meant about little gestures that honor relationships!”

“So?”

“So?”  His expression became solemn.  “So I have a lot of work to do.”

“For Decker,” Maze stated knowingly.  “Huh. Well you better get moving. The stores will be wiped out of candy and giant teddy bears pretty soon.”

“I don’t want anything so...trivial.  It has to be something special. Unique,” he clarified.  “Like the detective herself.”

“You’re working four murders, Lucifer.  You don’t have the time to put something together.”

“ _I_ may not have the time,” he started.  “But I know someone who does.” Maze stood as the smile on his face slowly spread.

“There is no way in _Hell_ I’m doing it for you.”

“Thank you for your ringing enthusiasm, Maze, but you’re not quite the being I had in mind.”

“You don’t mean…”

“I _do_ mean.”

“I thought he was…”

“Rumor has it, he’s in town.”

“Gaudium?”

“The one and only.”

 

* * *

 

The list of witnesses and potential suspects was already a mile long and had just acquired another bullet point. Chloe sighed. If things kept going like this, they’d be at it till well into next month. She hated serial killers. Not just for being, well, serial killers, but also for the amount of legwork they tended to generate.

She turned to their current bullet point. “So, Mr Shaw, that car you saw, can you describe it in more detail?” _Beyond ‘small’ and ‘foreign’, if at all possible,_ she added silently. She didn’t even dare hope for a plate number at this point.

Looking at her partner, she saw that he was looking at the display of his phone. Again.

“Lucifer,” she prodded him, “hello? Witness?”

He muttered something under his breath she didn’t catch. Tearing his gaze away from his phone and looking at her, he gave her a distracted smile. “My apologies, Detective.” He transferred his gaze to Mr. Shaw. “You were saying?”

Chloe noticed that he didn’t put his phone away and suppressed a sigh. It was going to be one of _those_ days, then.

“Your partner’s name is ‘Lucifer’?” Shaw said, thoroughly distracted from his statement. He shook his head and favored Lucifer with a pitying look. “Your parents must really hate you.”

Lucifer gave an almost grin. “You might say that.” He took a breath to expand on that, but Chloe, who really didn’t want to hear another variation on the theme of “I’m-The-Devil” at this point, cut him off.

“Serial killer,” she said, trying keywords to prod him instead of full sentences. “Offing their lovers. Or rather, ex lovers. On Valentine’s Day, of all days.” It seemed to work, because that last bit actually brought some focus into his eyes. “We have tons of potential witnesses to interview,” she went on quickly while she still had his full attention.

He gave her another smile, this one a little more sincere. “Right. It’s Valentine’s Day.” His brows came down. “I know.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, recognizing the symptoms. He had somehow managed to make this case about himself again. “Lucifer, could you for once _please_ shelve whatever it is and work with me on this case? We’ve got to -”

There was a ping from Lucifer’s phone, which probably meant that -

He looked at the display, his smile sliding off his face. “Oh no,” he muttered.

Which probably meant that -

“That little --.... That won’t do _at all,”_ he said, putting his phone into his jacket pocket and striding away without another word.

Which probably meant exactly _that_ . Chloe sighed, deep and heartfelt, watching him go and knowing from experience that she’d be on her own from now on. _You can’t change your partner,_ indeed.

On any other day, she might have found some amusement in it, but not today. And no, the date had nothing to do with it. At all.

 

* * *

 

It was a full three hours later (that could have been cut to at least half that time if a certain someone hadn’t chosen to bail on her) that Chloe finally found the time to check her own phone.

No messages. Of course.

With nothing to focus her attention on now that all her bullet points had been dealt with and the main suspect identified, the low-key anger she’d been feeling at her consultant even before he upped and outed rose to a full blaze. It was a matter of minutes to track his phone to Lux and a matter of twenty more to drive over.

Fuming silently and already rehearsing her tirade in her head, she rode up in the elevator, fully expecting to find Lucifer holding one of his private “parties” that would get his club owner license revoked if the wrong people ever found out about them. Instead of half-naked bodies moving to throbbing basses, though, she was greeted by dim lights and soft music.

Her inner monologue abruptly lost steam. “Lucifer?”

“He’ll be right back,” an unfamiliar voice said.

Turning towards it, she beheld a small, bald man apparently in the process of arranging… flowers?

Yep, flowers. Lucifer’s entire apartment had been transformed into a scene that wouldn’t look out of place in a rom-com movie, complete with a table set for two near the balcony window, affording the best view.

“I’ve took the cacti back and got those instead,” the man went on, gesturing towards the flower arrangements. “Much better, no?”

“Oh,” Chloe said intelligently, eyeing the little man with undisguised curiosity. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was expecting company.” At least, not _that_ sort of company, she added silently. The guy wasn’t ugly by any means, but he was shorter even than her, and she’d simply not figured him being Lucifer’s type.

Meanwhile, her stomach was doing a strange flip-flop thing, but she ignored it ruthlessly. They had agreed on just friends. Whatever Lucifer thought he was doing with whoever this guy was, it was none of her business.

“Detective!” Lucifer’s voice came from his bedroom. “You’re early.”

“I didn’t….” Chloe began.

“Splendid,” Lucifer broke in, coming out into the living area, dressed to the nines. “Come, come. Sit, please. Take a load off. Dinner will be ready in a few, and I’ve got an excellent red out and breathing.” He glared at the little guy. “At least I hope I do.”

“Lucif--” Chloe tried again.

“Oh, you’re _so_ right. Aperitifs first. Absolutely.” He turned to the little guy. “Thank you, Gaudium. You can go. I’ll take it from here.”

The little guy - _Gaudium? what a strange name_ \- bowed. “Yes, My Lord.” With that, he ambled out.

‘My Lord’, Chloe thought as her gaze followed him to the elevator. _Great. Another weirdo._

Clearly, she had misjudged the situation, though. Whoever this setting was for, it wasn’t this Gaudium guy. Then she remembered why she’d come here and took a breath to start berating him. “Lucifer, before I leave you to whatever this is, I’ve told you a hundred times before, you can’t leave in the middle of a case!”

“You’re right,” he said readily.

She deflated a little at this unexpected concession. “Okay, good. So, why did you?”

He pointed at the elevator doors. “Because Gaudium was about to bungle things; nay, to thoroughly spoil things, and I had to step in personally.” His eyes took on that pleading expression she found herself powerless against. “I would have stayed to help, I really would, but your gift was supposed to be extra special, and he came back with _this_. I mean.”

He reached behind him to grab a box off the bar, holding it out to her. From the flowing cursive gold inscription on the box, she could gather that they were chocolates; the rest was in French, which had never been her best subject.

She stared. He had gotten her French (or possibly Belgian) chocolates. From France (or possibly Belgium).

“What’s wrong with….” she began weakly.

“You can get _that_ in every corner store over there; it’s nothing even remotely special,” he said dismissively. “I had specifically instructed him to find that one outlet for that tiny chocolatérie in Beauregard-la-chauve-souris where they make chocolates that are as close to divine as you humans can get, and he went and came back with _this!”_

She continued to stare at him, now thoroughly distracted by the French sounds he had just uttered, and her tirade derailed entirely.

“So I had to nip over and get it myself,” he went on, grabbing another box, this one wrapped and tied with a red bow, “and leave the dinner preparations to him and, worse, you in the lurch. Even with supernatural speed, it’s not exactly two blocks over. I’m sorry, Detective. And Happy Valentine.” He held the box out to her.

She stared some more. Chocolates from France. _Special_ chocolates. For her. So fast. To France and back. And. He had apologized. And. For her.

Insecurity entered his eyes when she made no move to accept his gift. “Is that not the correct way to go about this?” he asked. “I’ve never done this before, so maybe….”

She gathered herself and took it, looking down at the bow. “Thank you, Lucifer. I - I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting anything from you today, especially after what you said about Valentine’s Day just this morning.”

He smiled. “Yes, well, I’ve had a crash course on the importance of this date. It’s not about sex or emulating Valentinus’s equator, I’ve come to realize. So, I’m honoring our relationship, Detective. Besides, who’s to say that the Devil can’t learn?”

By now, she could feel herself smile. “I still don’t know what to say.”

“Then say nothing, and take a seat already. I hope the food is edible, but it was either a five-star meal and an inferior gift, or this meal with an indeterminate number of stars and a special gift.”

Chloe smiled. He was just so… Lucifer. “What changed your mind about Valentine’s?” She wanted to know as they walked to the table.

He gave her an enigmatic smile. “Maze did. And your offspring, indirectly.”

“Huh.  Well, _that_ was not the answer I expected.”

“Let’s say you weren’t the only one surprised.  Detective.” He took a deep breath and released it slowly.  “I’ve come to understand that Valentine’s Day is not a day for celebrating love in...solely the romantic sense.”

“Uh, okay.”

“It’s about celebrating all types of love.  Family, friends.” He reached towards her, wrapping his slender fingers around her wrists.  “Partners. It’s about appreciating the people in our lives that are...important. You, Chloe,” he said quietly as he stepped closer to her.  “You are important to me. And I...I love you. I-in a completely platonic way, of cou--” He stumbled back a step as Chloe suddenly lunged towards him and tightly wrapped her arms around his frame.

“Lucifer, that is _the_ sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”  She turned her face upwards, gently pressing her chin into his chest as her gaze searched for his eyes.  “I love you, too, Lucifer.” He smiled softly and lifted a hand to brush the hair from her face.

“You cannot possibly understand how happy that makes me,” he whispered.  He dropped his chin and placed a gentle kiss against her forehead. “Now,” he started with a smile, “how about we eat and break into the wine?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Valentine.”


End file.
